I have been a birder since I could barely talk. I became a member of the Ohio Young Birders’ Club (OYBC) as soon as I was old enough to join, and I attended American Birding Association (ABA) Camps and participated in the ABA Young Birder of the Year Program.  I also eagerly attended the Columbus Audubon Ecoweekend every year.

Those organizations played a huge role in my life.  All that adult mentorship on field trips, in classes and at camps helped me learn more and go deeper than I could have ever done on my own. Now I am giving back by providing mentorship to young birders and conservationists in Guatemala.

I have a unique perspective because I did not only grow up in Ohio.  I also spent much of my childhood in Guatemala, in my dad’s village, Santa María Tzejá, where I roamed the forest, played in the river, and (of course) birded.

In 2019, the people of Santa María Tzejá successfully fought to create a large, protected forest reserve called Cerro Cantil.  I have listed 231 species of birds in or near the reserve, some of which were unexpected, including Grey-throated Chat, White-fronted Swift, White-throated Thrush, and White-winged Becard.

This region is under-documented in eBird, I believe it’s important to have on-going documentation year-round, to help track the effects of climate crisis on bird populations.

I have also regularly visited another nearby community, Copal AA, where my mom has worked for many years.  When Copal AA was founded in 1996, the land had been denuded by the military during the war. For the past 30 years, as they rebuilt their community, Copal AA’s leaders have emphasized reforestation and organic agriculture to undo that damage to the land.  Now, as those leaders grow older, it is so important to nurture the next generation to continue their important work.

In 2023, as part of my ABA Young Birder of the Year program, I led a 4-day birding workshop for 9th graders at the middle school in Copal AA. I taught the students how to build bird feeders and use binoculars, and I introduced them to the basics of bird ID with Merlin. We also talked about the biomes of Guatemala and discussed land conservation and ecotourism.  To give you a peek at what we accomplished, check out my ABA presentation, which won a Silver Medal.

I loved the students’ natural ability and enthusiasm!  They’re the ones who will be in the position to protect forests (and birds) for years to come, in the face of the growing climate crisis, by promoting land conservation, ecological agriculture, and ecotourism.

That’s what inspired me to want to spend a whole year working with the students, to help nurture a passion for birds that can lead to a life-long commitment to conservation.

Each month I teach a three-day in-person introductory birding class for 7th, 8th and 9th graders in Copal AA.  I also work with teachers to create after-school birding clubs in both communities, and I provide virtual support throughout the month and encourage students to create eBird lists throughout the year.

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